Shoot
by TrickyFrog
Summary: Time is up. How far will Gil go to save his Master? Alice x Oz Short but please R&R.


I wrote this sort of randomly for a 100_situations table I'm working on. This is actually the second time I've written out this scenario. The first one just ended entirely differently. I'll get the other one up eventually. This is short, so the pain is quick. 3 Please R & R. Constructive Criticism is always welcome.

Time was up.

"All I have to do is shoot!" Gilbert steadied the gun perfectly aimed, his devotion and determination actually proving a steadfast quality in the situation rather than a hindrance as it had in the past. His body was shaking, his heart deciding it wouldn't take much more before it too began to scream in defiance, but his arm was ready, his wrist and hand steady. All that was left was his finger. His finger just needed to pull that trigger, than all of the problems he and Oz faced would be gone. Oz would live. Oz could be happy.

Had it been any other time, Alice would have been mocking his pathetic little display, but this time, he was different. The seaweed head wasn't simply acting out, he meant it this time, because this time was his last chance-his last chance to save Oz.

"Gil stop!" Oz could barely move through all of the pain, but he spoke out against his servant. This was unacceptable. He would not let Alice die, especially at the hands of his best friend. Still, Gil did not budge. "Gil, stop it right now!!" The Vessalius somehow managed to pull himself up with his arms from his position on the floor, a streak of pain causing him to feel lightheaded as he yelled.

Alice felt the tears sting the corner of her eyelids and fall down her cheeks betraying her strong will to keep them pent-up inside. Her scared rabbit-like eyes would not move away from Gil's angry predatory ones. If she looked away, he might do something she wasn't ready for, but she couldn't keep looking into them, because even that was killing her inside. She understood what had to be done, the right thing to do, but that didn't keep the pain out. That didn't mean she was happy about the truth. She wanted to live. She wanted to be happy together with Oz.

Finally, she spoke, barely a whisper, "Shoot me."

"Alice no!" Oz shouted again, this time in her direction, but it was too late.

Gil's finger pulled the trigger, and the gun went off. Alice only gasped, stepping backwards once before falling to the floor. "Alice! Alice!" Oz carried what little strength he had over to her, not even bothering to look to see Gilbert's horrifyingly satisfied smirk as he lowered his gun. Now, Oz would live. Now, Oz would be happy.

Oz took Alice into his arms, the hole over her heart hidden from all of the red blood boiling up. "Alice!" Their eyes met and the sadness behind hers brought forth his own tears, "Alice, Alice, don't die, please! I need you, Alice." He was begging because it was all that was left to do. She was going to die.

As she saw the tears fall from Oz's eyes then, tasting them as they stained her lips, she felt happiness. _I won't be alone when I die._ "Thank you, Oz, but you deserve to live." _I don't. I'm not even human, and if I ever came close, it was in your eyes, Oz._

That's when he said it, far, far, far too late, "But I love you Alice! Don't die! I love you!" Oz looked down at her, unfazed by his own confession, thinking she had known all along.

Alice had never realized it, however, not until now. Finally, she smiled, "Thank you, Oz. I-" but she was gone, death stealing away her last words. Instead of the typical exit of a chain, nothing happened. Her breathing steadied and stopped, her body going limp. Her body stayed there, embraced by Oz's arms, rather than returning to the Abyss or disintegrating into nothingness. There, she died human.

"Alice?" Oz shook her body a little, her eyes staring blankly up into the unknown. "Alice? Alice?! No. . . . . No!" He shook her violently, her body moving about like a doll. The sudden absence of pain from the seal was proof, but still he did not want to believe it. "Alice! Alice! Come back! Don't leave me! I need you!" He felt a hand on his left shoulder, and he turned up to face those soft golden eyes, speechless and still holding the dead Alice in his arms.

"Oz, it's okay. You're free from her now." Gilbert looked down at his master, a warm and generous small smile tracing his lips. _Now, Oz will live. Now, Oz will be happy._

The blonde's eyes went wide as he looked into those kind and loving golden orbs, "Who _are_ you?" Disgust? Anger? Distrust?

Gil suddenly became very afraid, panic settling in like a knot in his stomach that tightened instantly tearing away at his very insides, "Oz, any longer and you would have died! _She_ would have killed you! _I had no choice!_" Gilbert was ready to plead his case, all of it making perfect sense in his own mind. It was his job to protect his master-from anyone.

Oz let go of Alice, letting her fall lifelessly to the floor and slapped his servant's hand away, standing to metaphorically tower over the now cowering Gil, "_No choice_. You had no choice?!"

Gil looked back at Oz, seeing the unforgiving hate in his eyes, something he never thought he'd see aimed at his own, "I-I did it for you-Oz!"

Oz, putting his hand into a fist, pulled back and then punched Gil in the face, his right hand coming in contact just above Gil's jaw, everything he felt in that moment behind his punch.

The amount of the physical pain didn't matter, because the attack had hit directly on Gilbert' heart, shattering it like a fragile and thin glass that was only held together previously by the same hand that had broken it. Gil stumbled backwards and fell stupidly on his butt, looking up at Oz in shock. _I hurt Oz?! I hurt Oz!_

"For me, Gil?! For me?!" Oz got closer to Gil, hell in his eyes, his face still wet from the tears, "I told you to stop!"

"But I love you Oz! I can't let you die! I can't just sit back and let you die! I could never do that! I love you!" It was Gilbert's turn to cry. _I hurt Oz and now I . . . _

"You love me?" Oz looked down at Gil, uncharacteristically lacking all sympathy as the wet blood on his hands from Alice's wound began to grow sticky. His voice was sharp cutting slowly and deeply into Gil's ears, threatening his very mind, "Then, let me ask you this, Gilbert. Who did you really kill Alice for- me, or _yourself_?" At this point, even Oz himself was shocked at the feelings that were moving him further into action. He continued to glare down at Gilbert, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything else._ I should have seen this coming Gil. I should have realized . . . _Oz softened, a look of pity on his face now.

Gil was speechless both from the question and his inability to answer it.

"Get out." Oz closed his eyes and turned around, his right hand opening and closing as he successfully controlled his anger.

Gil tried to move, but his body would not comply.

"I said GET OUT!!"

Gilbert stumbled to his feet. Fleeing out the door, he looked back only to catch a glimpse of his master cradling the dead girl in his arms an expression on his face too lost to find itself wet with tears.

I was sooo mean . . .


End file.
